The Indian pharmaceutical sector consists of about 250 national pharmaceutical makers, currently accounts for about 3.1–3.6% of the global pharma industry in value terms and is witnessing a market growth of 12.8% due to an increase in consumer spending and healthcare insurance. As the rapidly growing Indian pharmaceutical sector strives to become a global hub of original drug research and manufacturing, pharmacy graduates with the right training and knowledge have significant potential to power the industry’s growth.
With vital knowledge of drug composition, interactions, and toxicology, pharmacists can guide patients towards the correct usage of medicines and curtail the negative outcomes or adverse reactions from incorrect drug consumption. Thus, across the world, pharmacists play a very important role in ensuring safe, effective and rational use of medicines.
In India, however, this role is especially important as most Indians do not rush to hospitals for a fever. A pharmacist in India cannot limit their role to storage and dispensing of medication in clinical settings and formulation and compounding in industrial settings. Your local pharmacist can know more about you and advise you better. Therefore, it is important to not only educate future pharmacists with current pharmaceutical information but also equip them with better people skills.
In this issue of Higher Education Digest, we bring to you a list of top colleges who have created a niche for themselves by imparting a patient-centred pharmacy education. These institutions have set an example on how a prime pharmacist should conduct themselves in a global professional setting.
In the following pages, you will also meet Haimanti Sen a spirited young woman who has changed the fate of several street kids surrounding the Kandivali station in Mumbai and read about Anandu Nagesh, a young gent from South India who made his way to the land of Rasputin to fulfil his medical dreams. This issue also features several other articles from learnt individuals who share the goal of fostering and furthering the frontiers of present-day education.
I hope you find this issue informative and enjoyable, as well as give something for your brain to chew on.
Cheers!